Photographic reproducing device



July 11, 1950 F. c. MILLER l-:rAL 2,514,892

PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCING DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1946 ELV//v 5. BRL/MF/E/.D

5y THEIR ATTORNEYS Patented July 1l, 1950 2,514,892 i v Pno'roeaarmcasraonucme DEVICE Franklinv C. Miller, Los Angeles, and Elvin S.Brumfleld, South Pasadena, Calif., assignors to Fairchild,'Polley &Eliel, Inc., Los Angeles,

Calif.,

a corporation of California Application october s, 194s, sei-1eme.701,444

(ci. 24o-1).

1 Claim.

Our invention relates in general to photographlc reproducing devices,'and a primary object of the invention is to provide a portable deviceof this general character which need merely be rolled over the surfaceof an article in orderto obtain a photographic reproduction thereof.

Our invention is particularly adapted for use in reproducing excerptsfrom reference books, newspapers, or the like, and the photographicreproductions obtained may subsequently be incorporated in reports orvarious other documents either directly or in transcribed for-m. Forexampie, if a report is being prepared which re- .euires material from alarge number of sources,

our portable reproducing device may be employed to obtain reproductionsor copies of excerpts covering the desired material with ne necessityfor laborious note taking, or for transcribing the material directlyfrom the source. Thus, after the photographic copies have been developedand, if desired, positive prints obtained therefrom, the prints may betranscribed or otherwise incorporated in the desired document at anyconvenient time with no necessity for referring back to the sources ofthe material reproduced. However, our invention may valso be employedfor other purposes and we do not intend to be limited to the specificapplications discussed above.

Our portable reproducing device or printer operates on the reflexprinting principle whereby light rays from a suitable source aredirected through a light sensitive sheet, such as paper. film, or thelike, and onto the page or sheet to be reproduced. In passing throughthe sensitized sheet, the light rays partially expose the sheet and arethen either absorbed by the page being copied or are reflected thereby,depending upon whether the light rays strike a dark or light portion ofthe page. The darker portions of the page being reproduced absorb alarger portion of the light rays incident thereon than do the lighterportions thereof, thereby reflecting an image of variable intensity ontothe sensitized sheet and exposing various portions of the sheetadditional amounts in accordance with the relative absorptive andreflective powers of the page being copied to provide the desiredreproduction thereof.

We prefer to employ sheets of light sensitive paper or the like whichare not appreciably affected by exposure to light of normal intensitywhen exposed thereto for a reasonable length of time. The lightsensitive sheets may thus be laid out flat on the pages or sheets to becopied so that our portable printing device may be rolled along thelight sensitive sheets to provide the desired reproductions, which isanother object or our invention.

In general, it is an object of our invention to provide a deviceincluding an internally illuminated cylinder, the peripheral wall ofwhich is pervious to light so that a sensitized sheet may be exposedmerely by rolling the cylinder there:- along. The light rays thus passthrough the peripheral wall of the cylinder and through the sensitizedsheet and are reflected by the page or sheet being reproduced to exposethe sensitized sheet in the manner described.

An important object of our invention is to provide a device of theforegoing character wherein the light source is mounted in a reflectorwhich is located within the cylinder and which directs the light raysemanating from the source through a relatively narrow slot in thereflector so as to provide relatively intense illumination of thatportion of a page or sheet which is in the process of being copied. Thereflector is rigidly connected to a chassis or housing on which thecylinder is rotatably mounted so that the cylinder may rotate relativeto the reflector in rolling over the sensitized sheet which is beingexposed.

Another object is to provide a reproducing device which includes ahousing that substantially completely encloses the cylinder to provide aconvenient means for grasping the device when rolling it over thesensitized sheet which is being exposed, and to provide a device havingan attractive and pleasing appearance.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a reproducing devicewherein the light source includes one or more electric lamps or bulbswhich are connected to a suitable source of electricity through adepressible switch, the switch being mounted on the housing in alocation such that it may be closed readily by pressure applied theretoby the hand of an operator grasping the device.

Additional objects of our invention include the provision of a portablereproducing device which is of simple but sturdy construction to insurepositive and dependable operation thereof, which is relatively light andquite compact so that it may be operated and transported readily, andwhich is designed to fit the operators hand so that it may be carriedand operated with a minimum of effort.

The foregoing objects of our invention and the advantages suggestedthereby, together with various other objects and advantages thereofwhich will be apparent hereinafter, may be realized by means of theexemplary embodiment which is apresta l 3 u described in detailhereinafter and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Referring tothe drawing:

Fig. l. is a perspective view or a portable photographic reproducingdevice or printer which embodies the fundamental principles of ourinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view thereof with portions of the devicebroken away to reveal the internal structure thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view which is taken along the brokenline 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the device which is taken asindicated by the arrows l-I Vof Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, the reproducing device includes a case orhousing it which serves as a chassis for a hollow roller or cylinder lihaving a peripheral wall i2 which is pervious to light, the cylinderbeing rotatably mounted within the case 'and projecting therefromthrough a substantially rectangular opening i3 therein as best shown inFig. 4. A combination lamp housing and reiiector i4 is non-rotatablymounted in the cylinder Il, the reector being rigidly connected to thecase i and being provided with a relatively narrow slot i5 therein whichextends longitudinally of the cylinder and which registers with theopening i3 in the case. A light producing means i1 is mounted within thereflector it and may include several electric lamps or bulbs iii whichmay be connected to a suitable source of electricity (not shown). Theelectrical circuit for the lamps I8 includes a pair of conductors i9which are shown schematically in Fig. i, and includes a depressibleswitch or switch assembly 2l for closing the lamp circuit, the switchbeing mounted on the case i0 so that it may be closed by pressureapplied thereto by the lingers oi an operator when'grasping the caseiii.

Considering the construction of the reproducing device in more detail,the case i0 is preferably of such a size and shape that the operator maygrasp the device readily in operating or carrying it by placing histhumbs on one side of the case and his fingers on the opposite sidethereof with the palms oi' his hands resting on the upper portion of thecase as viewed in Fig. l. lf desired, the device may be carried and/oroperated with one hand by grasping the case with one hand in a similarmanner.

The construction illustrated in the drawing provides a case In which maybe grasped readily in the manner described and which also provides anattractive appearance. As best shown in Fig. i, the case In includes a,semi-cylindrical upper portion 24 and a lower portion 25 ofsubstantially rectangular plan form, the opening I3 in the case being atthe bottom of the lower portion thereon. The edges 26 of the opening I3are preferably rolled inwardly as best shown in Fig. 4 to provide thecase it with a smooth exterior adjacent the opening, thus avoidingpossible injury to the operator and avoiding possible damage of thesensi= tized sheet over which the device is being rolled in the .eventthat the device is tipped inadvertently so that the bottom of the casecomes in contact with the sensitized sheet. The case l0 is preferablyribbed, as' indicated at 2, to provide convenient gripping surfaces forthe operators ngers when the device is being transported or is inoperation.

The case I0 is provided with end walls 3!! and 3| which may be formedseparately from the body of the case and then suitably secured there and33 thereon, respectively,

d end walls l0 and 8l are or projections 32 which extend into theinterior of the cylinder il through end walls 34 and 35 thereof,respectively, and which lie on the axis A-A of the cylinder. The bosses3,2 and 33 are encircled by collars BB and 31, respectively, which aredisposed in openings i'n the end walls 3d and 35 of the cylinder il, andwhich serve as bearings to permit rotation of the cylinder relative tothe case i0.

The location of the axis of rotation A-A of the cylinder il is such thatthe cylinder projects through the opening i3 in the case it, as bestshown in Fig. e, so that the cylinder may be rolled along a surface byan operator in the manner described. The peripheral wall i2 of thecylinder il may be formed ci' any suitable material which is pervious tolight, although a transparent material is preferable to avoid excessivediusion of the light emanating from the lamps it. The end walls ed and35 of the cylinder ii are preferably, although not necessarily, formed oan opaque material.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the reflector id is provided with a .pair ofend walls d@ and di which are rigidly secured to the bosses 32 and 33,respectively, on the end walls til and Si of the case id so that thereector remains stationary relative to the case during rotation of thecylinder il.

As best shown in Fig. e, the reiector le is of a generally cylindricalshape conforming to that of the roller il and portion i2 on which thelamps i@ are mounted. The interior of the reector id is provided with asuitable reflective coating as is well known in the art so that thelight rays emanating from the lamps le will be directed through the sloti5 and through that portion of the peripheral wall i2 of the cylinder iiwhich is opposite the slot.

The slot I5 is preferably relatively narrow so that the intensity of thelight directed therethrough is suilicient to expose adequately asensitized sheet over which the device is being rolled even if thedevice is rolled over the sensitized sheet at a. fairly high speed.Locating the reflector IB within the cylinder ii reduces the loss oflight which would result from exposing the entire peripheral wall i2 ofthe cylinder il to the light from the lamps i8, and also permits the useof a narrower slot i5 to provide more intense illumination than wouldotherwise be possible, which is an important feature of our invention.

Asbest shown in Fig. 3, the lamps is are of conventioal construction andthe bases thereof extend through openings Q5 in the dat portion d2 ofthe reiiector i6, the lamps being supported by projecting pins d6 theronwhich may be insorted through suitable notches #il in the edges of theopenings ab. The lamps it are conto. if desired. The provided withcentral bosses nected in series by conductors d@ each of which leadsfrom the negative terminal of one of the lamps to the positive terminalof the lamp there adjacent as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the con`ductors it being suitably secured to the dat portion t2 of the reectorit and being insulated therefrom as indicated at fit. The conductors i9are connected to the positive and negative terminals of the lamps it atopposite ends ci the series, respectively, by conductors Se as bestshown in Figs. 2, the conductors 5t being suit ably secured to theredector is and being inis sulated therefrom as indicated at ti.

is provided with a flat upper its indicated semi-diagrammatically inFig. 2, the conductors le are brought into the case lil and cylinder iithrough an opening '5 which extends through the end wall 3u of the caseIt and the boss 32 thereon, and which is best shown in Fig. 2. Theconductors i9 may be connected to any suitable source o electricity,such as a conventional wall socket (not shown).

The switch 2i is connected in series with the lamps is as shownschematically in nTriig. 2, and, as best shown in Fig. i, is so locatedthat it may be actuated by either the operators fingertips or thumb ashe grasps the case iii. The switch 2l includes an actuating bar' 56which is preierably ribbed as indicated at 5l to provide a convenientgripping surface and to harmonize with the ribbed portion il! of thecase it..

Considering the construction oi the switch 2i in more detail, theactuating bar 5t is movable transversely of the case l@ in an openi 5Btherein, as best shown in Fig. 2, and is mounted on a resilient contactelement 59 having c. tab t0 thereon to which a portion 6l of one of theconductors l@ is connected. The contact element 59 is normally separatedfrom another contact element 65, and is adapted to engage the element 65when the actuating bar 56 is depresed ,in order to close the lampcircuit, the contact element 65 being provided with a tab 66 thereon towhich another portion 51 of the aforesaid conductor I9 is connected. Thecontact elements 59 and 65 are clamped between insulating members 68which are suitably secured to the case I0.

Whn the reproducing device is to be used to copy a page from a, book,for example, a sensitized sheet 'I0 is laid out nat over the page 1| tobe copied as shown in Fig. 4. The operator then places the reproducingdevice on the sensitized sheet 10, grps the device in the mannerdescribed previously, depresses the switch actuating bar 56 with histhumb or ngertips to energize the lamps I8, and then rolls the devicealong the sensitized sheet to expose the sheet as hereinbeiorediscussed. The sensitized sheet 'I0 is then developed and a. positiveprint thereof may be obtained, if desired.

Our-invention thus provides an extremely rapid means for obtainingcopies or reproductions of material from various sources whenever copiesof such material are desired. The copies may, for example, beincorporated in a report or other document either directly or intranscribed form.

It will be apparent that if excerpts from varient sources are reproducedin this manner, the copies may then be transcribed by a stenographerwhen= ever convenient and with no necessity for refer ring back to theoriginal sources, which may re sult in a considerable saving of timeparticularly if the excerpts are taken from a large number of voluminoussources.

Although we have disclosed a specic embodim nient ci our invention, wedo not intend to be lircited to the specic disclosure contained hereinsince various changes, modifications and substitutions may beincorporated in the embodiment disclosed without departing :roin thespirit ci the invention. We hereby reserve the right, therefore, to allsuch changes, modincations md substitutions as properly corne within thescope of our appended claim.

We claim as our invention:

ln a device of the character described, the combination oi a housinghaving a substantially rectangular opening therein; a cylinder rotatablymounted in said housing and projecting through said opening therein, theperipheral wall of said cylinder being pervious to light; a reectordisposed in said cylinder and rigidly cono neoted to said housing, saidreflector havingr s slot therein which extends longitudinally of saidcylinder and which registers with said opening in said housing;electrical light producing means in said reflector; electrical circuitmeans adapted to connect said light producing means to a. source ofelectricity; and a depressible switch in said circuit means, said switchbeing mounted on one wall of said housing and being depressible by thehand of an operator grasping said housing.

FRANHIN C. MILLER. ELVJN S. BRUMIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,201,093 1110 May 14, 19402,292,668 Sheridan Allg. 11, 1942 2,427,943 Cochran Sept. 16, 1947FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 382,379 Great Britain Oct. 27, 1932

